The Night of the Wolf
by Teneshi
Summary: Will wolves prove the undoing of the relationship between Katrina and D? Or is it merely an inconvenience that will try their love. . . 3rd in the D and Katrina series.
1. Prologue

Standard disclaimer applies. I don't own D. I didn't create him either but   
I did create Katrina and the little girl so they're mine. As is most of   
the other people living in these towns. Ask before borrowing please. Thanks.  
Well D is returning as promised. This is the third story in the line of D   
and Katrina stories. Also. Unlike the other two previous stories this one was  
not roleplayed out prior to it's being written.   
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
The trip was taking quite some time to say the least. A few stops at towns along  
the way kept their supplies in good repair but with little action they were slowly getting  
bored. The symbiot had at one point on the trip even contemplated asking D to cut him  
off so he could find something exciting to do but had, at second thought, decided against  
that course of action.  
  
"How far did that merchant say the next town was?" Katrina asked D as she rode  
alongside him, the little girl asleep infront of her.  
  
"We should reach it by nightfall,"D replied quietly, not even looking at Kat.  
  
"Oh,"she said quietly as she picked up that he just wanted to be left alone. Facing  
the road again she settled into the same boring routine she'd been forced into for most of  
the trip. Leave D alone, tend to their 'daughter' when she needed it, and on the most rare  
of occasions, talk to the symbiot for a moment before D shut it up.  
  
All in all the trip was wearing on Kat horribly. D was acting as if for the most part  
he wanted nothing to do with her or the little girl now and nothing seemed to break him  
from his constant thoughts. He refused to sleep most of the time, merely resting himself  
as he sat thinking while they slept. She wasn't sure what was going on in his head but she  
was sure she probably wouldn't like it too much.   
  
At about an hour to dusk they were closer to the village and could see the lights on  
the horizon. They also saw to the left of the road a group of youths kicking something  
and shouting curses at it.  
  
"Stupid freak!" A boy with long dirty blonde hair said as he brutally kicked the  
humanesque form in the head. A low moan issued from the body as D and Katrina rode  
over for a closer look. 


	2. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimer applies. I don't own D. I didn't create him either but   
I did create Katrina and the little girl so they're mine. As is most of   
the other people living in these towns. Ask before borrowing please. Thanks.   
Well D is returning as promised. This is the third story in the line of D   
and Katrina stories. Also. Unlike the other two previous stories this one was   
not roleplayed out prior to it's being written.   
  
  
Part 1   
  
Laying face down on the ground, battered and bruised was a humanoid figure,   
obviously not entirely humanoid due to it's purplish skin tone but still semi humanoid.   
Surrounding the prone form were about 7 youths of various ages though all in their teens.   
  
"It's a mutant,"Katrina said quietly to herself, looking at D and then back to the   
body. Another quiet cry left it's lips and it raised it's head to see who had come over.   
  
Looking up at them they saw bruises covered the effeminate male face and a few   
trails of blood ran from the corners of his mouth. He then noted the swords and looked   
back down, his voice quiet as he gasped,"Help me... Please..."   
  
At this another one of the boys with short brown hair kicked him in the side as the   
rest looked to D and Katrina.   
  
"What the hell do you want?" The boy with the long hair asked as he put his hands   
on his hips and tried to create an intimidating sight.   
  
"Mommy...." Sarah spoke up quietly from her perch infront of Katrina on   
Mycroft,"Daddy. Why are they hurting the man?"   
  
"What is his crime?" D asked as he gave the boy a stare that stated he wasn't at all   
scared of this child.   
  
"Hmph,"the youth snorted derisively before he explained,"Stupid freak thought he   
could come into our town and cause trouble."   
  
With that said the youth kicked the mutant again as his friends laughed and   
watched. After the blows had stopped for a moment the mutant, gasping for breath,   
coughed up blood onto the ground. The poor man's body trembled and shook as he   
seemed about ready to cough up vital organs.   
  
"Obviously he knows we're hunters or could at least guess as much,"Katrina   
thought while she observed the scene before her,"If he were working for a vampire lord   
then he wouldn't ask for our help."   
  
"Don't you think you've punished him enough,"Katrina said as she gave them all a   
displeased look.   
  
"We're just following the orders of the Lord," another of the youths said, a grimy,   
filthy boy of about 15.   
  
"We're to beat him to death," another stated with another kick to the unfortunate   
mutant.   
  
After giving them a convincing look D stated simply,"We'll take care of   
eliminating it. You get back to your families, dusk is falling."   
  
They gave him one last skeptical look but after he unsheathed his massive sword   
grinned and went on their way. D dismounted and walked over to the mutant, sword   
pointed toward the still trembling body.   
  
"D!" Katrina said sharply as she quickly dismounted,"You aren't seriously going   
to just kill him without hearing his side of the story are you?"   
  
"I had planned on listening but it never hurts to be safe,"he replied without even   
looking at her, his eyes focused on the mutant who was slowly trying to pick himself up   
off the ground.   
  
Slowly the man got up and managed slightly to a sitting position, all the while   
though he held tightly to his chest and stomach as blood dribbled down his face. He   
looked at Katrina as he spoke,"I thank you for your intervention."   
  
His words were slow and paced between coughs as he looked between her and D.   
Before he could continue though D spoke in a cold monotone voice, keeping his sword on   
the mutant the whole time.   
  
"What were you doing in that town that led to this?"   
  
"I was travelling through the town at first with only the problem of people   
avoiding me but I spotted the mayor and his son one day," he explained between coughs   
as he tried to regain his composure.   
  
"And?" D prodded for the mutant to continue while Katrina got a spare piece of   
cloth and a waterskin for him to clean up with.   
  
"Thank you,"the mutant said as she handed him the things before he   
continued,"They're not human."   
  
"I could sense that they weren't human from where I was but it was daylight so I   
know they couldn't be vampires. They noticed me looking at them and I guess realized I   
knew something I shouldn't and had me literally beaten to the condition I'm now in."   
  
"Are they mutants like yourself?" Katrina asked as Sarah watched the man clean   
his wounds.   
  
"No,"he replied,"They're something else. I'm not sure what though."   
  
"Very well," D said quietly as he sheathed his sword.   
  
"I'd go check them out if I were you," the mutant continued,"As it is they're   
looking for someone to help find out about the half eaten women's bodies found in the   
woods outside the town."   
  
"We'll go,"D stated   
  
"It would probably be wise for you to stay out of sight for a bit,"Katrina said as   
she helped bandage the mutant's chest as well as she could.   
  
"Again I thank you for your help," the mutant ,"My name is Therentis."   
  
"I'm Katrina, this is D and the little girl is Sarah,"Katrina explained,"Perhaps once   
we get a room at the inn you can find a way to sneak in and just stay in there til we figure   
this all out. Out here those children can find you again."   
  
"True,"he replied with a wince as he remembered the beating he'd already received   
at their young hands.   
  
D gave her a look of disapproval at her inviting the stranger to stay with them til   
she walked over away from everyone with him and simply said,"We'd probably get the   
same treatment if they knew what we were. Sarah'd be the only one among us welcome   
in that village freely."   
  
With a sigh D conceeded finally as they both watched Sarah help to bandage   
Therentis's arm. The two seemed to be getting along well and D thought this might be the   
chance to find a permant home for the child away from him and his dangerous line of   
work. Katrina though was thinking about how this might work to be a good situation for   
Sarah to have interaction with 'others' not normally accepted so she would always be   
open minded. Not to mention the fact of a caring babysitter to watch Sarah while they   
were hunting vampires.   
  
The two walked over to Therentis and Sarah as Therentis stood on somewhat   
shaky legs. D made a makeshift crutch to help him balance better from a nearby tree and   
Therentis thanked him with a smile as he watched D unsheath his sword and begin hacking   
the tree apart.   
  
"What are you doing?" Therentis asked as Sarah watched on in wonder and fear   
from his side.   
  
"If we do nothing to make them think we've disposed of you they'll still be after   
you,"D explained quickly as he grabbed a piece of Therentis's clothing from the ground.   
It was a torn old coat that had fallen off as the boys beat him and now they watched as D   
lit the tree on fire with some flint and steel and then partially burnt the coat, leaving the   
tree to burn.   
  
"Good thinking,"Katrina said as she mounted Mycroft. Therentis handed Sarah up   
and D mounted his own horse.   
  
"There's an abandoned cave by the edge of the road about 2 miles down that way.   
Head down there and wait til nightfall. One of us will come and get you,"D explained   
then turned his horse as Therentis nodded. After a quick 'Goodbye we'll see you later'   
the three rode off and Therentis went towards the cave. None of then watched as the   
'funeral pyre' burned to ash and then blew away.


	3. Chapter 2

Standard Disclaimers apply. This chapter was one I'd had laying around for a while. I swear there was a more updated version though at this moment I can't find it. In an effort to get anything up to update this story I'll throw this up for now and finish the chapter hopefully later this week. Though I have been busy with life, my son and my fiance I do plan to try and update soon. Enjoy this as a new little tidbit for "Night of the Wolf".  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The town seemed quiet as they entered, though they knew better than to expect it to stay that way. Slowly they noticed people coming out of their houses to inspect these new travellers. All were male and upon furthur inspection they noted the women watched from the windows.  
  
"Seems either the women aren't allowed out or don't want to come out,"Katrina mumbled quietly as she voiced the thought.  
  
"Probably due to the women being eaten,"D responded quietly to which she nodded.  
  
As they rode the sign for the inn came into view and furthur beyond it a large manor loomed on the hill behind the town.   
  
"Probably where the mayor lives," Katrina thought as they continued their approach to the inn,"We should go ask him what's going on here at some point."  
  
Upon reaching the inn they dismounted and tethered their horses to the post outside. D grabbed his saddlebags and turned to go into the inn as Katrina helped Sarah off of Mycroft.   
  
"I'll get us two rooms,"he stated as he disappeared through the door.  
  
Katrina nodded as she grabbed a small pouch from her saddlebag and handed it to Sarah before taking the whole bag off the cyborg horse.  
  
"Hold on to that for me and after we get settled in we'll have a look around town. OK?"  
  
"Ok Mommy," Sarah said as she smiled and ran up onto the porch of the inn.   
  
When the two entered the building they saw several round tables set up around the room. Most had four chairs to them a few larger ones had six around them. The smaller tables each seemed to hold a motley assortment of patrons all of the male persuasion. Some of them looked up in surprise at Katrina and Sarah as no other women seemed to venture out these days. D still stood near the counter finishing up the deal for the two rooms. As they came up beside him the innkeeper handed him the keys and directed him upstairs and to the left.   
  
After they had gone upstairs and located the rooms by the numbers on the keys D turned to Katrina and handed her one of the keys.   
  
"You'll share a room with Sarah," D explained. When Katrina gave him a questioning look he continued.  
  
"That way Therentis will be in a room with me where I can keep an eye on him."  
  
"All right," Katrina replied,"That makes sense. Do you want to come look around town a bit before the shops close and everyone retires for the night?"  
  
D merely nodded his head once and then walked into his room to drop off his saddlebags. Sarah and Katrina followed suit with Katrina taking the small pouch of coins back before they left the room and locking it. D was already waiting at the stairs for them when they came out and together the three of them went downstairs and left the inn.  
  
When they emerged onto the street the three noticed that it was much the same as before only a few less people. The shops still had customers coming and going about doing their business but no women were still to be found walking around the town. Next to the inn was a tailor shop and on the other side a general store. Across the street found a few other miscellaneous shops and a vegetable and fruit vendor.  
  
"Look Mommy!" Sarah exclaimed as she made a beeline for the one store across the street which seemed to specialize in children's clothing and toys. As she was starting to cross the road a rider on a horse came galloping towards her. When Katrina spotted the rider she began to run towards to Sarah to push her out of the way of danger. Just as he would have hit her though he came to an almost dead stop and the horse reared back dangerously and Katrina used that moment to grab Sarah and pull her back and away.   
  
"Forgive me," The man stuttered as the horse calmed down and he turned to them. D by this point had made his way over to the group and was now a few steps back from where Katrina stood, still holding Sarah.  
  
"I'm ok," Sarah said quietly as she clung to Katrina,"Sorry mister. I shouldn't have run out infront of you like that."  
  
"It's quite all right my dear. Forgive me again for almost crushing you. My lord would be most displeased if I were to bring any harm to any of you."  
  
"Your lord?" D asked as he took in the man's apprearance. He was dressed well in rich colors and fabrics that none of the other people in town seemed to own. D's first guess was he was a servant for the mayor but if this was true and there was a lord in this town that might have explained the women's murders.  
  
"Yes, Lord Atenis," the man replied,"He sent me down to cordially invite you two to his next social gathering. You caught his eye when he saw you entering the town and he wishes to speak with you."  
  
At this point Sarah turned around and looked at the man and then back at Katrina before she asked,"Can I go too?"   
  
As Katrina was about to answer the errand boy cut in.   
  
"My apologies dear child but this is an event for the grown ups."  
  
"Aww all right," Sarah said with a defeated sigh.  
  
The man reached into a pouch at his side and withdrew a gilded envelope and handed it down to D. The pure white envelope had gold ivy trimming it's sides and bore no name or address.  
  
"The ball isn't for a week yet so you should have more than enough time to prepare,"he explained,"Of course my Lord hopes to see you there. Please send word to the manor as soon as you are sure if you will be able to attend."  
  
Without waiting for a reply the man turned and rode off again, leaving a dusty trail in his wake. 


End file.
